The Final Piece
by kijani
Summary: Takako is back to normal, so imagine the knights' and Himeno's surprise when a demon larva pops up in the city. Then, when Himeno's life is threatened, the knights must work quickly before tragedy strikes. HimenoHayate and SasameTakako pairings. FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **I have never before done a story for Pretear. This is my first one ever. Now that I've cleared that up…I hope you like it. Please review and let me know what you think, and I will try to update promptly. Thanks!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**  
_Chapter One_

Himeno let her head fall ungracefully to her desk, and groaned in pain. Since they had returned the Princess of Disaster to normalcy, Himeno's life had hit a flat note. Her services as a Pretear weren't needed, and while the Leafe Knights were still a constant presence in her life, things had become, for lack of a better word, dull.

Of course, she didn't ever want to actually have to fight again. She shivered at the very thought.

"You all right? Is something wrong?" It was Hayate. Himeno hadn't even heard him coming into the room.

She nodded with enthusiasm and displayed one of her best smiles. "I'm fine. I was just thinking is all…"

"Well, don't hurt yourself." Hayate laughed.

Himeno blinked. "Hey! That wasn't very nice!" She pointed an accusatory finger at the Knight of Sound as she jumped up from her chair.

Hayate looked like he was getting nervous, but he was saved by Shin and Mannen, who rushed into the room at precisely the right time.

"Himeno, can we go get ice cream?" Shin tugged at her skirt.

Himeno looked down to Shin, and then to Hayate. "Shall we?"

"Fine with me." He smiled. "The others are going to be jealous, though. They decided to stay in Leafenia today…"

Mawata was standing near the front door when the group came downstairs. Himeno smiled at her step sister and gestured to her friends. "We're going for ice cream and you have to come," she grinned.

The group, now with its extra member, made its way down the sidewalk. The ice cream parlor was just around the corner. Shin was talking with Mawata about Sasame's radio station when Himeno stopped dead.

She suddenly felt very cold. It was an odd and unwelcome feeling. Then came a feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach. She gasped, and fell to her knees. She knew what this feeling meant, although she couldn't explain it, and it had never been this strong before…

"Himeno!" Hayate yelped, dropping to his knees beside her. "What is it? What's wrong?" he demanded.

"I feel…but it can't be…" Himeno groaned.

"What?" Mannen, Shin, and Hayate chorused.

"There's…there's a demon larva nearby. It feels so strong. I don't understand."

Hayate's eyes widened in shock. "You're sure?" He waited for her to nod, and then turned to Shin and Mannen. "Take Mawata back to her house, and then quickly go and get the rest of the knights!" he commanded them.

They nodded and began to ran in the opposite direction.

"Himeno, come on!" Hayate grabbed her hand and helped her up. "Where is it coming from?" he looked around. "This way!"

They had reached an alley, and the demon larva they found there was already hatched. Himeno paled. "Where did it come from? Why didn't I notice it earlier?" she gasped.

"You idiot! It's going to kill you if you keep standing there and staring at it! Pret with me!" Hayate yelled, reaching out for her hand.

"But Shin isn't here!" Himeno realized. "How are we going to contain the battle?"

"For crying out loud, Himeno!" Hayate snapped in an almost whiney voice.

"All right!" Himeno relented, finally taking his hand.

_"Okay," came Hayate's voice from inside her. "I know it's been a while, but we're both praying you're not as rusty as I think you are, aren't we? Just take out the core quickly. We have to figure out how this happened…" _

"I'm not stupid, Hayate!" Himeno snapped as she aimed at the core of the demon. She missed, and had to jump out of the way of the demon's attack. From inside her head, she heard Hayate yelp in pain. "Sorry!" she gasped. "Are you okay?"

_"Just shoot the damn core! I'm fine!"_

>>>>>>

"Himeno, are you all right?" asked Goh as the group ran onto the scene. The battle had just concluded itself. Hayate emerged, and Himeno gasped.

"You jerk! You _were_ hurt! You _lied_ to me…are you all right?" she whispered.

Hayate's shoulder was bleeding. "It doesn't matter." He shrugged. "The important part is how or why there was a demon larva in the city. The Princess of Disaster doesn't exist anymore. Takako is back to normal, so I don't understand…"

"Maybe that's who we need to talk to?" Sasame whispered his suggestion.

"What?" Hajime gasped. "But…she didn't do anything! She's good!"

Kei nodded. "Yes, that is true…however, she may know how something like this could be possible. She was in that position once, after all."

Himeno frowned. "I don't want to have to talk to her about such things. We will certainly be opening up some old wounds…"

"I will do it," Sasame volunteered. "I'll talk to her, if it's all right with everyone else?"

The group nodded.

>>>>>>

"I let myself lose it. I let my power get corrupted, and so I became the Princess of Disaster…" Takako whispered. "It's very easy to travel the wrong path, you know…unfortunately, once you are there…" she shivered slightly. "I was such a horrible person…"

Sasame hugged her. "No, you're not. You've made up for what you did. I'm not here to crucify you…we need your help. The demon larva have resurfaced, and we can not figure out how. Last time was because the Princess of Disaster was released. The demon larvas were all associated with the Princess of Disaster…"

"I don't understand it, either…unless…" Takako's eyes widened.

"What?" Sasame worried. "What is it?"

"Unless there's someone else who has somehow managed to control the demon larva." She said finally. "It is possible."

Sasame nodded in understanding. "If that is the case, then I must warn the knights and Himeno as soon as possible…" he whispered. "We have to figure out who is doing this. We can not have another incident like the one this afternoon…"

>>>>>>

**A/N: **I know…kind of weird to leave it here, but I had to. It's short, but the next part is quite a bit longer. You'll see:D Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Here's chapter two! Please review and let me know what you think!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**  
Ch_apter Two_

"So Takako believes that there could possibly be someone _else_ controlling the demon larva? Who? How?" Himeno frowned. "How are we going to figure out who is behind this?"

"Simple. We wait for their next move." Answered Hayate.

Himeno paused. "Do you think…whoever they are…do you think that they are human?" she whispered.

"It's possible. Anything is possible." Sasame replied. "We just need to try to be ready for anything. That's our only option right now."

Himeno nodded. "I understand."

There was a knock on her bedroom door. When she answered it, she discovered Mayune, Mawata, and her father and stepmother. Each was staring at her with concern in their eyes.

Himeno blinked. "Uh…hi everyone!" she waved. "Is there something that you need?"

"Are you going to be all right?" her father asked. "Has something happened? Something has happened, hasn't it? Is it bad?"

Himeno blinked several times at his series of questioning, but quickly smiled and shook her head. "No, no! It's nothing serious! I'm fine. We just had some catching up to do is all. It's absolutely nothing to worry about at all."

Behind her, the Leafe Knights were staring at her as if she had lost her mind. She was lying to her family. This was something to worry about. There was a problem, and Himeno wasn't _fine_. They were in trouble.

"Uh, Himeno…" began Hayate.

"Oh, sorry, Hayate. Are you _thirsty_?" she asked, clearing her throat loudly, and signaling to the rest of the knights to be quiet.

Hayate nodded. "Yeah, that's it. May I have a cup of tea?"

Himeno's stepmother smiled and nodded. "We'll all leave you alone now, and I'll send one of the maids up for tea as soon as possible," she added, ushering her children and Himeno's father away as quickly as she could.

When they had gone, Shin tugged at Himeno's skirt. "Himeno, why didn't you tell your family that you might be in danger?" he asked her.

She shook her head. "Because my possibly being in danger means that they are in danger too…if I stay here." She reminded everyone. "I think I am going to relocate myself to Leafenia once again. I do not want what happened last time to happen again…"

The group nodded. They already knew she had to be talking about what happened with her stepsister Mawata. In truth, it actually was safer for her to leave.

"That's all right with us," Kei nodded. "You are no burden."

"Maybe sometimes…" Hayate smirked, and Himeno hit him squarely in his shoulder that was not injured. He groaned. "All right…I'll lighten up. Tulip head…" he laughed.

Himeno stopped short of hitting Hayate again. She looked thoughtful. "I have school tomorrow." She stated plainly. "Do you guys think it possible that maybe the person controlling this new demon larva is someone at my school?"

They were about to answer when the maid showed up with a pot of tea, several cups, and a tray full of cookies.

"It's…a…possibility…" Mannen managed as he shoved a cookie into his mouth. "After all, Takako was probably about your age when she was the Pretear, and then she turned. It was all before we were born, so we don't remember it of course, but I'm just saying, it might be…"

>>>>>>

Himeno glanced nervously around the courtyard at her school the next morning. There was really no one she could think of that could possibly be causing all of the trouble. Of course, she didn't understand why any of this had to be happening again, but it would be better if she could at least find a clue or two about what was going on.

Just outside the school grounds stood Hayate, keeping a vigilant watch out for anything suspicious, and keeping his eyes on Himeno…should anything bad happen.

It was just after Himeno's lunch that she decided to stop by her locker. The lock was jammed, and she had to jiggle it quite a bit before she could finally turn the lock. She screamed as the door opened. The minute she had turned the lock and opened the door, a black sort of gas had begun to spill forth. It stung her eyes and burned her lungs, but she felt as if she was paralyzed. She was rooted to the spot as the gas enveloped her entire body in pain. Finally she fell, but she didn't remember hitting the ground before falling into unconsciousness.

When she woke up, she was in a dimly lit room…her own. Surrounding her were the various Leafe knights and the members of her family.

"What happened? My locker…I was…" she began. "It hurts so badly…"

"What was it that hit her?" her father demanded. "Why is she still in pain? We've called the doctor. She is medicated. Is she hurt somewhere else?" he frowned.

Hayate and Sasame sighed, but Goh was the first to speak. "No human doctor can do anything for the pain Himeno is experiencing. It has nothing to do with human ailments…" he explained.

Himeno's father nodded in understanding. "But she will be all right, won't she?"

"Yes." Sasame assured them. "Now…if you'll excuse us, we would appreciate if we could talk to Himeno alone for a moment?"

Her family nodded and slowly left the room.

Himeno groaned. "What is this stuff, guys?" she asked groggily. "Who did this?"

"We were hoping you could answer that," Kei nodded.

Himeno shook her head and moaned in pain. "But I didn't _see_ anyone do anything, Kei. The black stuff started coming out of my locker as soon as I opened it. I didn't see anyone do anything…"

"We know, Himeno." Sasame agreed. "But there is something else…"

"What is it?" she asked.

Hayate cleared his throat softly, and Himeno looked over in his direction. He smiled at her, but his expression quickly turned to a serious one. "Himeno, I found this on the ground next to you after you were attacked. I didn't say anything to your family, as I know you don't want them involved…but we thought maybe you could tell us who this is from…"

Himeno frowned. "How am I supposed to know?"

"It's just a note." Goh explained. "We thought maybe you might be able to recognize the handwriting on it or something."

"You don't have to do anything right now if you still don't feel well…" Hayate reminded her.

Himeno moaned with pain. "Help me up, please. I want to do this now." She said.

Hayate nodded, but still looked very worried about her. Slowly, he helped her up into a comfortable sitting position, and she sighed with relief. Holding out her hand, she waited paitently for Hayate to place the note into her hand.

"Did you read it?" she asked, and Hayate looked away nervously.

She opened it. It consisted of one line, which she read and reread several times before looking back up at the knights.

'_Himeno, you should be more careful. Next time you won't be so lucky.'_

"Someone is making a direct threat on your life." Sasame stated the obvious. "Do you recognize the handwriting? That would help up to figure everything out. It would make things a lot easier."

Himeno looked at the note again. The handwriting was indeed rather familiar, although she still could not pinpoint exactly whose handwriting it was. She blinked several times. She may not remember the name…but it was familiar. That meant that she must _know_ this person.

She shivered. "It's familiar…but I can't think of a name."

"Familiar?" Hajime repeated, and she nodded.

"That is a start." Sighed Sasame. "Maybe you'll think of something once the toxin wears off…"

"Yes." She agreed. "Maybe I will."

There was a knock on the door, and this time it was not Himeno's family calling. Standing in front of the door was Yayoi, Himeno's friend from school. She smiled at Goh, who answered the door, and basically invited herself into the room.

"She's not feeling well." Hayate insisted.

"I'll be quick. I come bearing gifts." Yayoi promised.

"Huh?" frowned Himeno.

Yayoi cleared her throat. "Yeah, everyone in class heard about what happened to you, and we've all signed a card for you…" she held out her hand. Looking around, her eyebrow rose as if she had just noticed everyone else in the room. She leaned down to Himeno's ear. "Who are _they_?"

"They're family from out of town…well, most of them…" she added. She knew Yayoi had her own theories about Hayate's involvement in her life, but she wasn't in the mood for any comments.

Yayoi nodded. "Oh. Well, everyone says hi, and we all hope you get better soon!" she smiled happily.

Himeno grinned. "Thank you, Yayoi. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I need a bit more time with my family before I go back to sleep…" she gestured to everyone else in the room.

Again, Yayoi nodded. "I'll show myself out." She said as she left the room.

When she had left, Himeno opened up her card. Yayoi wasn't lying. Many of her classmates had indeed signed it. She gasped in shock.

"What?" worried Hayate.

There was something she recognized about the handwriting of one of the people on the card. She snatched the note out of Hayate's hand quickly, and began to study it and the card. She paled considerably.

"Himeno?" frowned Shin. "You don't look well. What's wrong?" he asked.

"The handwriting…" she whispered. "It's the same."

"What's the same?" asked Goh, leaning over the side of the bed carefully to get a better look.

Himeno pointed. Written on the card in very neat handwriting was a message. It simply read _'Get well soon! –Yayoi'_. Himeno held up the note from earlier. Written on that paper, in the exact same neat handwriting, was the message that had threatened her life.

"Oh…" Goh whispered.

"Sasame, go find her! It's Yayoi! It's her! _She_ did this! We let her leave! She may not have even left the house!" Himeno screamed, and Sasame tore out of the room and down the hallway.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **There's chapter two! Hope you liked it. Please review, and I will try to update as soon as possible! Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Here's chapter two! Please review and let me know what you think!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**_  
Chapter Three_

"Did you find her?" Himeno gasped, trying to jump out of bed. The room began to spin as soon as she stood, and she would crumbled to a heap in the floor, had not Hayate been there to catch her before she fell.

Sasame shook his head vigorously. "No, I'm sorry. She is gone. She is nowhere inside the mansion, nor on the grounds anymore." He reported.

"It was her…" Himeno whispered to herself. "She was my friend. How am I supposed to go to school if she's there? It's too dangerous. Everything is too dangerous…" she shivered.

"Calm down, Himeno. It will be okay…" Hayate smiled.

Himeno looked up towards her bedroom door. She closed her eyes, nodding, and took a deep breath. "Dad! Mom! Mayune! Mawata!" she screamed. "I need you all to come here!" she called

Several of the knights jumped back in surprise when Himeno yelled. Seconds later, the rest of her family was standing in her room.

"What is it, Himeno?" her father asked, looking concerned as usual.

She sighed deeply. "I have decided something." She looked up at the knights as she said this and smiled.

"What's wrong? What is it?" frowned Mawata, studying her stepsister for clues as to what she was about to say.

"I figured out who ordered the attack of the demon larva today when Mawata and I went with Hayate for ice cream." She announced. "It is someone from school."

At this, everyone but the Leafe knights standing behind her gasped in surprise. Himeno took another deep breath, and continued. "I have decided that it is too dangerous. I cannot remain here where she knows how to get to me. I have decided…to leave Awayuki and the school. Maybe then she will have no reason to come after any of you…" Himeno whispered.

Her stepmother nearly screamed. "Leave Awayuki? Leave school? But Himeno!" she gasped. "You would…"

"She would stay in Leafenia with us." Sasame spoke up. "If she was there, we would be able to protect her, and she would be able to protect you without getting you involved. I think that is what she is trying to say…" he finished, nodding.

Himeno shook her head quickly. "Yes, that's it."

Her father blinked several times. "You're going to leave us, Himeno?" he finally managed to choke.

"She tried to kill me _at school_, dad. She knows where we live. Everyone does. Don't you understand? If she comes after me, I do not want any of you to get hurt in the process. Last time this happened, we came dangerously close to losing Mawata. I love you all, and I don't want you to go through it again. I can handle this…and the Leafe knights will help me." She smiled in confidence.

"You're sure?" her father nodded.

She wrapped him in a hug. "Yes, I'm sure." She whispered.

"All right, Himeno. I trust your judgment. But please…be safe." Her father sighed.

"I still don't approve of your leaving school, Himeno." Her stepmother said in a scolding tone. "But I will say nothing further about this, except that I want you to be careful, and I expect you to return home when this whole mess is over."

Himeno smiled. "I will." She promised.

Mawata said nothing, but smiled and wrapped her stepsister in a tight hug. Mayune cried, but recovered quickly. "I'm…going to miss…you." She managed, wiping her tears away quickly and taking a deep breath.

>>>>>>

Mawata dropped a shirt and a pair of jeans into a small suitcase on Himeno's bed, and sat down quietly. Himeno looked up.

"What is it?" she asked. "Is there something wrong?"

Mawata smiled. "No, I was just wondering is all. I mean, you're going off to live by yourself…and…someone tried to kill you yesterday. Aren't you scared? Even a little? I would be."

"And I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." Himeno admitted. "But I have the knights to help me through all of that. They swore to protect me. And Hayate…"

"Hayate?" Mawata repeated, questions in her eyes. "You know what I think, Himeno? I think you like Hayate a lot more than you are willing to admit. I think you have for a while. And I think he likes you as well. So of course he would want to protect you!" Mawata smiled as her stepsister blushed feverishly.

"Sh! He may hear you!" she warned. "He doesn't need to know everything. Even if I do."

Mawata blinked. "And why not?" she demanded.

"For the same reason that I am leaving this place, Mawata. It is a weak spot. Understand?" she explained.

The reply came from outside Himeno's window, rather than from her stepsister. _"Perfectly…"_

"All done!" Himeno announced happily.

>>>>>>

"Everything is going to be all right, Himeno. This will all be over soon if we have anything to say about it…and then you can go back home safely." Hayate promised.

"That's good." Himeno nodded. She stopped. "She can…she can get to Leafenia, can't she?"

Hayate paused. "No…not unless one of us brought her there…"

Himeno sighed with relief. "Then I am doing the right thing." She nodded, more to herself than to anyone.

"Yes…it's very noble of you." Hayate agreed.

Himeno blushed.

>>>>>>

Kei and Goh were waiting for them in Leafenia. The three youngest of the Leafe knights were nowhere to be seen. Leafenia looked normal…how it had looked before the Princess of Disaster had stolen so much of its energy. Himeno thought it was the most beautiful place…and it was safe, like Hayate said. Maybe Yayoi could get to her, but at least she wouldn't have any reason to go after her family.

She smiled at Kei and Goh. "Hi there! Where will I be staying?" she asked them quickly.

"The same place you were supposed to stay before I destroyed it the last time," smiled Takako, who had just walked up, arm in arm, with Sasame. "It has been rebuilt and repaired, and all of your things are there already. We all hope you like it."

Himeno nodded. "Thank you, everyone."

Takako had not been lying. Inside the small house were all of Himeno's things from her room. It was as if the knights had somehow transplanted her room from the Awayuki mansion into this small little house. She thought it was lovely.

She yawned. "Wow…" she frowned. "I didn't realize that I was so tired. There has been so much excitement lately. Maybe a nap would be a good idea?" she suggested, talking to herself.

"Yes, rest would be good. You should get as much rest as possible while you can." Sasame agreed.

"I'll make sure no one bothers you, Himeno. You can sleep safely." It was Hayate.

Himeno nodded, blushing slightly, and went into her room in the small house. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, her eyelids became very heavy. Soon enough, she was deep into a nightmare-filled sleep.

_"Hayate? Sasame? Kei? Goh? Mannen? Hajime? Shin? Anyone? Where are you? I'm…I'm all alone. Where have they all gone?" Himeno screamed into the darkness. _

_She was in Leafenia. That much she could tell. But this time, it was different. The sky was black, and she could hear nothing. There was no sound of animals, people, or water._

_"Hayate?" she called again. "Someone! Something is wrong!" she yelled. _

_Then she heard it. The laughter was high-pitched, but yet so familiar. She looked around, but could still see no one. All she could hear was the laughter. It was her laughter…the laughter of the person who had caused all of this to start all over again._

_"Yayoi? That's you, I know it is!" she called. "Show yourself! What have you done with everyone, huh?" she demanded. _

_She still could not see Yayoi, but she got a reply. "Do not worry, Himeno. They are being put to good use. I promise you that…" _

_Himeno gasped. "Put to good use?" she repeated. "What is that supposed to mean?" _

_Again, the laughter started, and finally, out of nowhere appeared Yayoi, with a large demon at her side. She continued to laugh as Himeno watched the horror unfold. The demon held within its tentacles six of the seven Leafe knights. They were being sucked dry of their Leafe…their life energy. Himeno saw all but Hayate among them. _

_"Stop it!" she cried. "You'll kill them, Yayoi! Please! Put them down! Your fight is with me!" _

_"I will put them down in just a minute…" _

_Himeno paled. She felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. First, Mannen disappeared, then Hajime and Shin. She screamed. _

_"No! They were only children, Yayoi! How could you? How could you do that to little children?" she sobbed, dropping to her knees. _

_Kei was the next to disappear, followed closely by Goh, until only Sasame remained. Himeno, still sobbing, screamed. "Sasame! Kei! Goh…" She took a deep breath. "Damn you, Yayoi! Why? Why did you do this? Why?" she screamed as she watched Sasame fade. _

_Yayoi only continued to laugh. "Aw. Does it hurt, Himeno?" she smirked. "Well, then I imagine this will sting quite a lot…" she smiled evilly. _

_That was when Himeno caught sight of Hayate. She ran forward, but was quickly thrown back by Yayoi as the demon picked up Hayate in its grasp. Himeno screamed. "Hayate! No! Don't…" she cried. "Hayate! Yayoi! Please…please stop!" _

_"This a classic romance tragedy, Himeno! One of the main characters always dies!" she smirked. _

_"No! Yayoi, please!" Himeno screamed, once again trying to run forward and being thrown backwards. She stood, just as Hayate disappeared. He was gone. Everyone was gone…and she had not been able to do anything about it…_

"No! Hayate!" Himeno jumped out of bed, and straight into Hayate's arms. She blinked. "It…it was only a nightmare. Then…then, everyone's okay? It was so horrible!" she cried.

Hayate pat her on the back, and kept her close to him. "Shh…it's all right. Everyone is fine. Nothing is going to happen to us. We'll be all right, Himeno. We're all going to get through this…" he whispered soothingly.

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Ha! Well, I have to leave that one there, but if you review, I will update as soon as possible! Hope you liked it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Here's chapter four!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**_  
Chapter Four_

"But…Hayate…the last time I had a dream like this…" Himeno worried.

"Don't even allow yourself to think it, Himeno." Hayate whispered. "We are Leafe Knights. We would not permit ourselves to fall in battle so easily."

Himeno took a deep breath. "But Hayate! She…she killed you, Hayate." Himeno paused.

"You told me," Hayate nodded, "and I told you that it wasn't going to happen, remember?"

Himeno blinked. "Hayate…you…you don't get it, do you?" she frowned.

"Don't get…what?" Hayate blushed slightly. "What are you talking about, Himeno? What are you trying to say?"

"Hayate…I don't want you to get hurt. I don't want anyone to get hurt…but it was so real…and I…Hayate, I can't. I can't tell you why…" Himeno stammered.

He blinked. "Himeno, you aren't making any sense whatsoever to me. If you were going to say something, why don't you tell me?"

"Because I can't!" Himeno yelled, nearly crying. "I can't tell you. It would be too dangerous. It could compromise everything…"

"Himeno…" It was Kei. "Do you need to talk?"

Himeno frowned, and stood. Hayate looked confused for a moment. "Yes, actually…there is something that I really need to get off of my chest…before anything else happens…"

"All right." Kei agreed. He followed Himeno out of her small home and into the field next to it. "Now, what has been bothering you, Himeno? Tell me. You have looked very troubled all day long…and you looked positively frightened in there!"

Himeno took a deep breath. "Kei…I think I am in trouble…"

Kei took a step back. "What is it, Himeno? No one has hurt you, have they?"

Himeno shook her head vigorously. "No, it's nothing like that. It is something else. I promise…although I do not think that it is any better…"

"What?" he demanded.

"Kei…I think I…I mean, I…" Himeno stammered. "Kei, I am in love with Hayate." Himeno whispered, as if it was shameful. Her eyes were cast towards the ground. "I tried to tell him, Kei. The nightmare…it was horrible..." She paused. "I tried to tell him, but I couldn't do it."

"You are afraid it will compromise your ability to fight?" Kei realized.

Himeno sighed deeply. "Yes. That, and I do not want her to find out…"

"Her? You mean the new Princess of Disaster?" Kei coughed.

Himeno gasped. "So we _are_ referring to her as the Princess of Disaster, aren't we?" She shivered slightly. "No…I don't want her finding out. If she hurt him, or any of you…"

Kei coughed again. "I understand, Himeno…but have you ever thought that maybe Hayate would want to know something like this? That maybe it could help improve your performance in battle?"

"I doubt it." Himeno shook her head.

"Doubt is not a good burden to carry around." Kei warned, his eyes twinkling as if he was thinking hard about something. "It will be your doubt in battle, not Hayate's knowledge of your feelings, which will make it hard for you to fight…"

Himeno gasped slightly. "You think he should know?" she whispered.

Kei nodded. "You never know what can happen, Himeno." He answered.

She frowned. "It isn't his feelings I fear…it's the idea that Yayoi could find out. She could use it against us, and I don't know how I would respond to something like that. I would not want to end up like her." Himeno admitted.

"I never realized you had such feelings, Himeno…but I still don't think anything will happen…." Kei speculated.

Himeno shook her head. "Yes, but we don't know. I love him, Kei…so I don't want him to get hurt. I feel better having at least told someone….and I trust you not to tell him until we know that everything is safe…"

Kei looked as if he was turning the idea over in his mind. After a moment, he sighed, blowing a piece of hair from his eyes, and shook his head lightly. "Hiding the truth will help nothing, Himeno, but if you wish me to keep quiet, I will honor your wishes."

"Thank you." She smiled.

"What is it?" worried Hayate as Kei and Himeno came back into the room.

Himeno shook her head. "It's nothing. It's fine now." She lied to him, and Kei nodded, looking as though he was bored with the conversation. He quickly made his exit.

Hayate stared at Himeno. "You are sure that you're all right? That nothing is wrong?" he asked, studying her intently.

She blushed, but nodded. "I'm sure. It was just something about being Pretear is all."

"Something that I couldn't hear?"

"Yes, actually, it was." Himeno agreed. She yawned. "Well, I think I might try to get back to sleep now that the nightmare is over." She mused. Surprisingly, she fell right to sleep almost the moment that her head hit her pillow. Hayate sat by her bed and guarded her.

_"Himeno…return to Awayuki mansion…" It was Yayoi's voice. _

_"I'm not doing anything you want me to, Yayoi! Keep my family out of this! Do you understand? Leave them alone." She retorted. _

_Yayoi laughed. "But Himeno…your father is dying to see you." _

_She gasped. "Yayoi…no…don't hurt him!" _

_"You will come to Awayuki mansion, and you will come alone, or I will kill him, your family, and Hayate…" she threatened. _

_Himeno paled. "What makes you think that I would even care if you kill him?" _

_"Come to Awayuki mansion alone," she smirked. "I'll see you there." _

Himeno gasped as she once again shot out of bed. Hayate was dozing silently in a chair next to her bed. Thankfully, her jump did not wake him up. She sighed with relief and slowly slipped from her bed. She thought she had escaped Leafenia without alerting any of the knights, but she was wrong.

From the trees, Goh and Kei stared after Himeno with interest.

"Why do you think she's leaving Leafenia at a time like this?" Goh questioned. "Where could she possibly be going? Do you think she's going to get some ice cream?"

"I don't think that's what she's leaving for, Goh. I think we should follow. She could get hurt out there on her own." Kei frowned. "I don't know what she is doing, exactly, but it is making me very nervous…"

>>>>>>

"Awayuki mansion? Why did she go back here?" Goh wondered.

Kei slapped his hand over his forehead and groaned as if he was in pain. "You know, sometimes I wonder about you. This is Himeno's home, after all…"

"Yes, I know. But why did she come back here?" Goh repeated.

"I guess we'll see…" Kei sighed. "I still don't like this."

"Yayoi, I'm here! Let my family go!" Himeno screamed.

Goh jumped. "Oh, now I know I don't like this." He moved to go to her, but Kei held him back.

"Don't you dare! Why do you think Himeno would sneak away like she did? Obviously, she did not want us to follow her here. We must remain silent and wait and see what happens…"

"Yayoi! Where is my father? What have you done with my family?" Himeno demanded.

Kei gasped. "Oh, no…"

Yayoi laughed. "I see you got my message, Himeno. You've come alone?" she asked. She waited a moment and then continued. "That's good. I wasn't in the mood to deal with any resistance, anyway."

"I wasn't…I…" Himeno stuttered. "Why are you doing this? Where is my family?"

"Did you think I just wanted you to come here and talk to me, Himeno? Maybe you did. I see you really didn't bring anyone with you. Were you that eager to save that knight that you would not even tell him where you were going?" she smirked.

Himeno paused. "I don't know what you are talking about. Show me where my family is!"

"You don't get it, do you? You…this family…you were the reasons that I am what I am now. It was your fault. And now, you are going to pay for what you've done to me. I heard what you said to your sister, Himeno…and I know all of your weak spots."

"Why?" Himeno stammered. "Why are you doing this?"

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Here is chapter four! I hope you like it! The next chapter will be up very soon, if it isn't already! Please review and let me know what you think! Thank you, everyone!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Here's chapter five! Please review and let me know what you think! Thanks, guys!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**_  
Chapter Five _

"Don't you get it, Himeno? You and your family…you did this to me. It was your fault. No one wanted me around. I felt like I was nothing more than everyone's burden. You were supposed to be my friend, but even you were wary of me. Even you wanted me out of your life…" She paused. "No one wanted me around. You have no idea how much that hurts, do you, Himeno? And you were my friend!" she screamed at her. "I accepted my feelings, and it gave me this power."

"You were in love with my father, Yayoi! Of course I was wary of you…and obviously with good reason! Why would you allow this to happen to yourself? Why would you allow it to continue? Hurting my family and me will not make your pain go away. I'm sorry we upset you, but doing this will not solve your problem."

"Of course it won't!" she yelled. "I'm not trying to solve my problem, Himeno. I am going to show you what it feels like…"

Himeno blinked. "What it feels like?" she repeated.

"What it feels like to give up, Himeno. What it feels like to be the one who doesn't fit in anywhere…to be pushed out by everyone." She said quickly.

"I've been there, Yayoi. I can try to help you…" Himeno offered.

"I don't want your help. I am not going to kill you, Himeno. Not yet, anyway. I am going to make sure you feel the pain I feel first…"

"Yayoi…you…" Himeno began.

She laughed. "Your family is going to die, Himeno…"

Himeno felt as if she had been suddenly punched in the stomach. She gasped, trying to catch her breath, but none would come. She suddenly felt as if her entire world had crumbled beneath her feet, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do about it. It was as if she was suddenly completely powerless.

She took several steps back. "You…you…you didn't? What did you do?" she screamed.

Kei gasped, bringing his hand to his mouth in an effort to quiet himself.

"Can we help her yet?" Goh frowned.

"Do not move. Yayoi has not attacked yet. There is something else. More to the story, I think… " Kei whispered.

"Where are they?" Himeno choked.

There was a series of thuds, and Himeno screamed.

"Kei, damn it!" Goh screamed.

Himeno stared at what Yayoi had dropped in front of her. It was the bodies of her sisters, her stepmother, and her father. She rushed to them. They were not dead, but they did not respond to her, either.

"Dad?" Himeno whispered. "Wake up…"

She stood, anger shining in her eyes, and took several threatening steps forward.

"I don't think so, Himeno." Yayoi smirked. "Or haven't you realized it yet? This puzzle is missing a piece. Care to speculate…or should I just tell you who it is?" She paused, glaring at Himeno before she continued. "Come on, Himeno…it is not that hard to figure out…"

"Hayate!" gasped Kei in sudden realization.

"What about Hayate?" frowned Goh.

"We have to get down there now! We have to go before something bad happens! I think that she has Hayate, Goh!" Kei announced.

Kei and Goh jumped out from the shadows, and Himeno gasped in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. "I didn't want anyone to follow! That's why I didn't say anything! I didn't want you here! I didn't want you to get hurt! You weren't supposed to follow me!" she yelled at them.

Kei nodded. "We followed anyway. We didn't know what was going on, so we thought it would be the wise thing to do."

"Well, it wasn't." smirked Yayoi. "Game over!"

"No!" screamed Himeno, reaching for Goh's outstretched hand. Within seconds, she stood between Yayoi and the bodies of her family. "Don't hurt them!" she snarled.

_"Okay, Himeno, you know what to do. I don't know if we can beat her, but we can at least scare her away for now. Does that work?" It was Goh's voice, echoing inside her head. _

"I know. I thought as much…" Himeno whispered.

Yayoi began to laugh. "You are an idiot, aren't you, Himeno?" she smirked. "Did you think I was honestly going to stick around? You were wrong! I have far better things to do with my time. Things to do, people to see…you know…" she grinned.

"You will not touch him!" screamed Himeno. "You can't get to him, anyway! Someone like you could never get to Leafenia!" she snapped.

"Who said I was going to try?" she laughed. "Don't you see? I won't have to go anywhere. He'll come to you."

_"What the hell is she talking about, Himeno? Is she talking about Hayate? Kei seemed worried about him…" _

"Be quiet, Kei." Himeno snapped in warning. She looked at Yayoi again. "He will not fall into your stupid little trap, Yayoi. You need to stop this. If any of my family dies, I would never forgive you. I would make you pay…"

"What are you talking about, Himeno?" Yayoi snapped. "_Never forgive me_?" She repeated. "You would never forgive yourself! You know that is the truth! The guilt alone would kill you, wouldn't it?"

"You are done talking!" announced Kei, sending a ball of energy at Yayoi. He landed next to Himeno and brushed a stray piece of hair out of his eyes. "Are you all right, Himeno?"

"Nothing has happened yet, Kei. I'm all right. My family, though…" she frowned.

"I can give them a little leafe…" Kei nodded.

Yayoi laughed and dodged Kei's energy ball easily. "Unless I get what I want, Himeno, Hayate is next. I hope you understand that…"

"What do you want, Yayoi? I don't understand why you insist on doing this!" Himeno frowned.

"You." Yayoi answered simply. "I don't want your leafe. I want you to suffer like I have done."

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Yes, another short one, but as you can see, it was for good reason. Please review and let me know what you think! I hope you liked it! Sorry it was short, but I couldn't help it. LoL.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Here is the next chapter of this one! Hope you all like it! Please review and let me know what you think.

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**  
_Chapter Six_

_"Suffer?" Goh repeated. "Himeno, this doesn't sound pretty. Just attack her, already!" _

"I can't!" she screamed. "My family…"

Yayoi laughed. "Yes, Himeno. Your family is going to die. But not before you have suffered…" she added in a threatening tone, her eyes gleaming over with hatred.

_"There's that 'suffer' word again, Himeno…" Goh worried. "What exactly is she talking about?" He was silent a moment. "If she tries to hurt you, I will protect you, Himeno. Don't worry about that…" _

"Undo the Pret, Goh." Himeno demanded sternly.

_"What? No!" _

"What? No!" Kei's voice echoed what Himeno could already hear inside her head.

"Undo the Pret, Goh, or I will figure out a way to do it myself!" she yelled. "Get out! I didn't want you getting hurt…and I don't plan on letting you now. This is too dangerous!"

"That is exactly why the Pret is a good thing!" Kei scolded. "Himeno, you'll end up getting hurt!"

She turned to him. "I know, but you won't!" She paused, and took a deep breath. "Goh, get out." She repeated one final time. "Please?" she added at the end.

In a few seconds, the Pret was undone and Goh was out, standing in-between Kei and Himeno. He looked flustered, but did not say a word.

"Get away, you guys…" Himeno said, her voice low. Her fists were balled up tight, and her eyes were cast down towards the ground. "Leave here so she can't hurt anyone else."

"But you will…"

"Go!"

After looking back several times, the two leafe knights shook their heads in turn, and stayed where they were. Even if Himeno did not want them to Pret with her and help protect her, they could at least still aid in the fighting that was to come. After all, it was their jobs as leafe knights to destroy the Princess of Disaster…so they weren't about to leave Himeno alone with her.

"We are staying, Himeno." Said Kei in a tone of voice that dripping with finality. "You can be mad at us all you want later, but we aren't going anywhere right now. Got it?"

Himeno frowned and groaned under her breath.

Yayoi still stood, surveying the scene in front of her with a wide spirk playing across her face.

"What do you want, Yayoi?" asked Himeno in a defeated tone, for the second or third time since she had started talking to her.

"Himeno!"

Himeno paled. She heard the one voice she was hoping she would not hear until she got back to Leafenia. But she was wrong, and Yayoi had been right. He came to her…straight to her. And now he was in danger, just like everyone else.

She took a deep breath. "Stay back, Hayate!" she warned. "It's me she wants! I don't want you getting hurt!"

"That's stupid, Himeno! It's part of our jobs as Leafe knights to protect you! We're bound to get hurt sometimes! It's something that can not be helped! Why are you so worried about it all of a sudden?" Hayate demanded. "Why won't you let us help you?"

Yayoi began to laugh. "You really are clueless about everything, aren't you, Hayate?" she grinned at him. "Should I tell him, Himeno?" she whispered. "It would make for an interesting plot twist…"

"This isn't one of your books, Yayoi! This is real! This is real people's lives that you are playing with!" Himeno growled her response.

"What is she talking about, Himeno?" asked Hayate, a look of confusion on his face. Himeno, rather than answer him, only shook her head back and forth.

"It's best that you not know," Kei told him. "Do not pay attention to a word that this girl Yayoi says. She's just trying to break us down, and she's hurt Himeno's family…but she hasn't made a die-hard attempt at attack yet…"

Hayate blinked. "I still don't know what's going on!" he yelled.

Himeno took several steps forward. Her head was bowed as she looked at the bodies of her family members. Kei had offered to give them some leafe, but the leafe had not help at all. They still laid exactly where she had dropped them, completely motionless. She took another deep breath. "Yayoi, please. Please stop hurting my family and friends. If it is me that you want…"

"Himeno? What the hell are you doing that for? Why are you giving up?" Hayate demanded, running forward. However, for reasons unknown to him, Kei pulled him back.

"I'm not giving up," she whispered. "I'm offering a trade. I can't go through this again…and I want my family to be safe. Even moving to Leafenia didn't help that…" she admitted to herself.

Yayoi laughed even more. "I have already told you, Himeno! I do not want to kill you! I want to make you suffer! You will wish for death, but it will never come…"

Himeno took a step back. "All of this…?" she stammered.

Yayoi nodded. "Yes, Himeno…"

"You're over reacting, Yayoi!" Himeno yelled. "Don't do this! Please, don't hurt them!"

"Hurt who?" frowned Hayate. "What's going on?"

"Yayoi has been threatening Himeno with hurting you since she got here." Goh blurted, and Kei hit him in the side of the head.

"You idiot!" Kei yelled.

Hayate blinked. "Why in the hell would this girl be threatening my life?" he demanded. "What's going on? It would be nice if I knew even a little bit!" he frowned deeply.

Kei sighed deeply. He knew that they could no longer stand idly by as Himeno wanted them to. He knew that they would have to help her fight. And he knew that there was no merit in hiding the truth anymore…

He coughed. "Hayate…Himeno is in love with you. She has been for a while. She told me herself. That's why she doesn't want you to get hurt. That's why she wants us to stay away from Yayoi. She told me…but she didn't know that Yayoi already knew about her feelings. She wasn't supposed to know…no one was…and now she is using it against Himeno. " He finished.

Hayate paled. "That's…that's why she doesn't want us to help her fight?" he gasped. "Because she…she's in love with me?" he whispered, and Kei nodded.

"But don't tell her you…" began Goh.

Hayate cut him off. He was running to Himeno. He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her towards him. "Stop it!" he yelled. She looked shocked, but he continued anyway. "I do not want you to go through all of this. There will be no trading…and no compromises. She is the Princess of Disaster, and she hurt your family. You are not just going to give up because of me. I won't have it. Do you understand?" Hayate chided her.

Himeno gasped, and blinked several times. "But Hayate, I…" she began.

"Let's Pret, Himeno." Hayate held out his hand, again cutting off someone's sentence as he did so. "Let's Pret, and we'll defeat her together. Then the two of us can continue this little talk we are having…"

"But I…"

"You can not do this alone, Himeno. No matter how much you want to, you cannot. I want to help you, so why don't you just let me?" Hayate continued.

Himeno seemed to be thinking about this a moment. Yayoi studied the two of them with interest, although for some reason, she did not attack. Himeno looked from her to Hayate and back again before slowly reaching out her hand to him.

He smiled. "Are you ready?" he whispered.

Himeno nodded. "Let's do it," she took his hand in hers.

A few seconds later, the wind Pretear was standing in front of Yayoi. Himeno still looked nervous, but now, with Hayate, she was stronger and more confident than she had been on her own.

She looked back at Goh and Kei. "Guys, please tend to my family for me. Take them into the house where it is safe and watch over them until we return…"

The two leafe knights nodded, and rushed to Himeno's fallen family members. Himeno kept her attention on Yayoi, who was no longer smiling.

_"Are you ready to finally end this?" smiled Hayate. _

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Wow, I just love those cliffies! Hope you liked this chapter! If you review, I will try and update soon:D


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Sorry for the really, really long time between updates, guys! I have been really busy and away from home for quite a while, and I have finally found some free time with which to update this little story of mine. Again, sorry for the wait, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**  
_Chapter Seven_

"We'll be right behind you the whole time, Himeno! We'll back you up! You just fight with all you have, and we will do the same. We are going to make her pay for all that she has done." Kei promised.

Himeno could only nod. "Thanks, guys. Just keep your guard up...and try to be careful. I don't want this fight spilling out into the city. There doesn't need to be any more destruction than there already is around here."

The group nodded and smiled.

"Where are..." Himeno began, but Goh cut her off.

"They're still in Leafenia, just like you wanted them to stay. They will know when to come if they are really needed. They aren't going to get hurt."

Himeno seemed to sigh with relief for a short moment before she took another deep breath and tensed herself up slightly. Throughout her entire conversation with the knights, Yayoi had yet to say anything to them, nor had she made any attempts to attack them yet. She just stood there, smiling down on them in a way that made Himeno sad and made her skin crawl all at the same time.

_"Himeno, do not take pity on her! If she realizes that you are sad for her, she will use it against you! Just attack her so that the battle can be over with. No, we will not kill her, if that is what you are wondering, but she needs to be sealed in Leafenia, so that this world will be protected from her." _

Himeno nodded, although no one else could hear what was being said to her. "I understand." she whispered, pulling the wind sword seemingly out of nowhere and directing its blade straight at Yayoi.

Yayoi only laughed. This seemed to be the only thing that the dark princess could manage to do in the face of danger. "I've been waiting for this part..." she laughed.

Himeno blinked, and her grip on the wind sword loosened slightly. "Yayoi, this is not one of your books...and I am about to make you understand that. You will not get away with all that you have put me and my family through. When I am done with you, I will make sure that you are never able to hurt anyone ever again."

_"There you go! Now attack! Goh and Kei will be able to cover you from behind!" Hayate shouted into her ear. "Now, while you still have the chance!" _

Himeno charged forward as Hayate commanded her to do. As she did so, several of Yayoi's leafe-sucking demons seemed to pop out of the ground, surrounding her in the center of a protective live cocoon. Himeno stopped short and leapt to the side as one of the demons reached out to grab her. Goh and Kei charged forward to deal with the new threat.

_"I was expecting something like that to happen..." Hayate nodded. _

"So why didn't you warn me about that?" Himeno demanded.

_"You should have known on your own!" Hayate said in a whiny voice, although with a slight laugh behind it. _

"All right, I guess I won't be making that mistake again..." Himeno nodded to herself.

_"No...I don't think it'd be a good idea to charge into a barrier of demons..." _

"Shut up, Hayate." Himeno groaned.

_"There! Go!" Hayate yelled._

Himeno looked over. Goh and Kei had managed to break through the barrier of demons that had only moments ago been blocking her ability to attack Yayoi. She once again charged forward, the wind sword out in front of her, and aimed straight at Yayoi.

She was only inches away when she heard a voice she was not at all expecting to hear. It was the voice of her father. Moments ago, she had doubted she would ever get to talk to her family again, but she was certain it was him. She turned...but he was not there.

_"Himeno, what's the problem?" Hayate demanded. "She'll hurt you if you just stand there!" _

"I heard...I heard my father, Hayate..."

_"Don't worry about him right now," Hayate warned. "If you want to protect your family...if you want all this to end, you have to keep your mind on the task at hand. All right? Attack!" _

Himeno nodded, a look of pure determination on her face, and charged toward Yayoi for a last time. Yayoi, however, had finally decided to defend herself, and Himeno was almost immediately pushed back into her home's garden wall. She groaned in pain and quickly got to her feet. Brushing the dirt off of her, and picking up her sword, she shook her head.

"What the hell just happened there?" she frowned, shaking her head. "How did she do that?"

_"You were expecting her to just sit there and let you run her through with your sword?" Hayate smirked. "You should know better than that! Just because she hasn't attacked you yet didn't mean she wasn't going to defend herself if you attacked..." _

Himeno frowned. "I know." She shook her head. "She needs to make up her mind, though."

_"And make this any easier for you? Ha! I doubt it!" _

"Don't you mean 'us'?" Himeno smirked.

"Himeno...quit wasting your breath talking to yourself and listen to me for a moment." It was Yayoi. Himeno looked up. "There is no way that you can defeat me just on your own. I am not like any of your other _problems_. Your little attacks aren't going to work. Why else do you think I have just been standing here? I do not need to do anything else. This battle will be simple. You and all of your precious knights are going to die. This time, the bad guy is going to win..."

Himeno blinked. "What do you mean 'just on my own'?" she repeated.

"You can not defeat me on your own." Yayoi smiled. "Figure that out on your own..."

Himeno sighed deeply. _What does she mean? _She asked Hayate inside her head.

He replied quickly. _"We aren't on our own. If you were on your own, really on your own, you would already be dead. My power has been combined with whatever power you already held on your own. It is our power...we are one...so that means..." _

"I know what that means..." Himeno realized. "But...my question is...is it even possible?"

_"Is what even possible?" Hayate asked. _

"Is it...is it possible to pret...with two of you at once?" Himeno wondered out loud, and Goh and Kei stopped in their tracks to stare at her.

"What did you just say?" Kei wondered, his jaw hanging and his eyebrow rose until it seemed to lift off of his very face.

"You heard what she said." Goh smirked. "Which one of us will be the one to try it, though?"

"Try it?" Kei gasped. "Are you sure?"

"Sure?" Himeno repeated. "It wouldn't...it wouldn't hurt you guys, would it?"

_"Himeno, actually...I'm not too..." Hayate began. _

"I don't know." Goh answered.

Kei nodded. "You know, there is only one way for us to find out..."

>>>>>>

**A/N: **Yet another cliffie I'm afraid, but you guys know how I operate. I hope you liked this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Here's the next chapter of this one! Thanks so much for the reviews, guys! Please let me know how you like this one as well!

>>>>>>

**The Final Piece**  
_Chapter Eight_

"I'll do it," Kei announced, stepping forward with a determined grin on his face. "But you have to promise me something first."

Himeno blinked. "What is it?"

"Nothing too hard. Just let Hayate rest a little bit, okay? You will still have our combined powers, but let me do some of the fighting for a while. I am sure Hayate is a bit tired after everything that has happened tonight."

"Okay..." Himeno nodded slowly.

Kei reached forward, clasping Himeno's hand in his own. When Himeno opened her eyes, she was in another outfit...the one she usually wore when she would pret with Kei alone. She took a deep breath. She had felt a small surge of power when the pret had initially happened, but now she felt nothing. It was almost as if there was no difference at all.

She sighed. "Are you two all right in there?" she whispered.

_"Well, Hayate's bony elbow is in my face, but other than that, yeah..." It was Kei's voice. "Oh, and Himeno, I know how to defeat her. I know the reason she said you could not defeat her on your own. You remember our last battle with Takako before she turned back to normal?" _

_"What are you getting at, Kei? I don't think I am going to like where this is headed, am I?" This time Hayate spoke, and he sounded slightly alarmed by Kei's statement. _

_Kei frowned. "No, you probably won't. We are going to give her leafe...so much of it that she can't even stand it any longer." _

_"But Kei!" Hayate gasped. _

_"Yes, my friend, I know...which is why you will be leaving now, so that I can do my job and protect Himeno..." _

"What is going on with you two? What's wrong? What is Kei talking about?" Himeno demanded, her voice dripping with worry.

_Hayate yelled. "No, Kei! Have you lost your mind! Using up that much energy would cause you to fade! Don't you realize it? You would cease to exist!" _

_"I understand that..." he agreed. "This is my job. It is my job to protect Himeno, and that is what I am going to do." He stated, a tone of finality in his voice. _

_"It's my job too, damn it! Stop trying to force me out!" Hayate growled. _

_Kei laughed. "It may be your job too, but you have other matters that you are going to need to deal with when this battle is over, and you and Himeno can not very well have that talk I know you need to have if you fade away during the fight. Am I right?" Kei waited, but there was only silence. Hayate was completely speechless. "Go on...out!" Kei demanded forcefully. _

"No!" Himeno screamed. "Stop doing that! I don't want either of you to fade away! Stop! There has to be another way!" Himeno began to cry as Hayate appeared in front of her. He looked just about as frustrated with the situation as she was.

"Kei, I know you can hear me, damn it! Stop this right now! It isn't funny!" Hayate ordered. "It is all of our jobs to protect Himeno! There is no reason for you to die like this!" Hayate said angrily. "You are just being stubborn is all! I'm going to come in there after you if you don't stop this foolishness right now!"

Himeno punched Hayate. He flew backwards, and she gasped. "I'm sorry, Hayate! I didn't do that! Kei!" she hollered. "What the hell was that for? Why did you punch him?"

_"He needs to stay away, or he might get hurt too...besides, there is no way in hell I am letting him back in here anyway, so he needs to calm down..." _

"Kei, you idiot!" Himeno screamed. "You've already used up some of your energy tonight, too! Neither of you should be arguing over this! I don't want either of you to get hurt!" She began to cry. Somehow, Kei had figured out how to control her, and he was going to make sure that he was the one who took the blow for getting rid of Yayoi.

_"I understand what you are saying, Himeno, but I also understand what your heart is saying. You and Hayate have unfinished business, and I want to make sure that gets taken care of. Hayate is like a brother to me. I'm not about to let him be a stubborn idiot and get himself killed when I know that the two of you have some things to work out when the battle is over. I am just making sure that everything ends just as it should...happily ever after." _

"Damn it!" Himeno screamed. "Get out, Kei! Please undo it!"

_"Please, just allow me to do this, Himeno. There is no way to force me out. I am staying here, and I am going to make sure this is ended right now." _

Himeno gasped. She watched as Yayoi stared at them. She looked confused, yet interested at the same time at what Himeno could possibly be arguing with Kei about. She smiled at Himeno, although she did not fully understand what exactly was going on.

Himeno felt her body being moved along, although she was not the one doing it. Kei was controlling her from the inside. He really was going to make sure that she did as he asked. She watched as her hands moved. She tried to control them, but nothing seemed to work.

_"Goodbye, Himeno..." Kei's voice whispered inside her head. _

Suddenly, Himeno dropped to her knees, and she was surrounded by a bright yellow light that was almost blinding. Leafe began to flow from her body, and towards Yayoi's. Kei's leafe. His life force...it was spilling out of her at alarming rates.

"Stop, Kei...please..." Himeno pleaded, several tears falling down her cheeks. Nothing happened. He was not going to stop. He would not listen to her.

Yayoi looked very surprised at this new development, but made no moves to protect herself from what was happening. "I told you, Himeno...I did not want your leafe...I wanted my revenge..."

Suddenly, something clicked inside Himeno's head. It was as if she understood fully what would happen to Yayoi if she accepted too much leafe. The leafe continued to pour out. Himeno spoke, but when she did, it was not her voice, but the voice of Kei that everyone heard. "You are getting leafe whether you want it or not...and very soon, it is going to destroy you..." she said.

Yayoi blinked. "Excuse me? What did you just say to me?"

Hayate gasped. Himeno could not control her own body. Kei had found some way to make sure that whatever he wanted to happen was going to happen. He rushed forward to help Himeno and to stop his friend from his sudden suicide campaign, but some sort of barrier pushed him back hard, and he landed on his back, five feet away from where he had once been.

"I told you Hayate..." Kei said through Himeno. "I want you to stay away. This is my task...it is no one else's."

Himeno could feel herself growing weaker and weaker. The outpouring of leafe was finally beginning to slow, and Yayoi was beginning to look very ill and alarmed. Himeno could feel herself falling towards the ground, but her hands stopped her from hitting the pavement. She could not get off of her knees. She felt as if her entire body was going to give out soon...that she was going to pass out...

But then, it stopped. She heard Yayoi scream, and suddenly she had regained control of her own body again. She fell to the ground in exhaustion, and began to cry. Worst of all, the outpouring of leafe had stopped completely.

"Kei..." she whispered pleadingly. There was no answer. She looked at herself. She was no longer in her yellow pretear outfit, but rather back into the clothes that she wore on a daily basis. Kei was gone. He had sacrificed himself in order to get rid of Yayoi and save everyone.

Himeno did not even have the strength to stand on her own. She looked up, and watched as Yayoi dissolved in much the same fashion as she had seen Sasame do when they were fighting Takako. Hayate rushed forward to help her, and Goh ran into her house to find the others.

"Himeno!" Hayate gasped. "Are you all right? Can you move?"

Himeno only shook her head. "Hayate...Kei is gone..." she whispered, and buried her head in his shoulder.

Hayate gulped. He knew his friend was gone. He could tell almost right when it happened...but he had known long before that. When Kei had pushed him out, he knew something bad was about to happen. He just had to wait for it...and it had happened. Kei had faded away. But there was a good side, despite everything that had happened.

"Himeno..." Hayate whispered. "Yayoi is gone. Kei did that to save you and your family...he may have gone down...but he took her with him." he smiled at his friend's brazenness. "He made sure everything was going to be all right."

Himeno nodded slightly and looked around her. Things seemed to have somehow turned back to the way that she remembered them. Everything looked normal as it once had. But the biggest surprise came when she looked at the entrance to her home. Running out to her was not only Goh and Sasame, but her family as well. They were all all right...and she had Kei to thank for that.

"Hayate..." she whispered. "Let's go home..."

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**A/N: **There is another chapter after this one. I have to resolve everything and I don't want to leave anything to the imagination. I know this was a short fiction, and I apologize for that, but it was my first Pretear fic, and I am pretty proud of the response it has gotten thus far. Please review and let me know what you think, and I hope you guys like the upcoming conclusion!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thanks for the reviews! I hope everyone enjoys this conclusion:D

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**The Final Piece**  
_Chapter Nine_

"Where is home for you, exactly, Himeno?" Hayate asked. It was a serious question, but Himeno seemed not to be able to offer a serious answer to him.

She smiled. "I don't know right now, actually..." she admitted. "I guess that depends on a couple of things."

Hayate nodded. "Yes...that's right. You and I need to have a talk. I heard something when we were fighting, and you...you could have gotten yourself killed, Himeno. I was really worried about you, you know that?"

Himeno blinked. "You heard...?"

"Kei told me." Hayate nodded. "And I didn't want you to get hurt, so I had to say something."

Himeno kept her gaze on the ground. "I understand..." she whispered.

"Himeno, I..."

"It's okay, Hayate." she smiled at him.

He smiled back. "That wasn't what I was going to say, you stupid girl. I was going to say I think we should find somewhere to sit down and talk for a while, but then you had to go and interrupt me in the middle of a perfectly good sentence..."

Himeno blushed. "Sorry..."

She glanced back at her family. They were standing there, as if they were admiring her like she was some kind of piece of artwork. Himeno nodded to them, wrapping them each tightly in a hug, and then glanced at Hayate once more. Her family smiled at her, and finally, they left Hayate and Himeno to themselves.

"Let's go to the garden," he suggested, taking her hand in his own.

She only nodded and followed after him.

Suddenly, they stopped. They were in the area of the garden that was just below the balcony that branched off of her room. When Himeno looked straight up, she could see her mother's flower staring down at her from the balcony, and she smiled. "Don't worry, mom! This is a good guy...I think..." she added near the end.

"You think?" Hayate repeated, trying his best to look hurt, but failing miserably.

Himeno sighed deeply, and took a seat on a bench that overlooked the rest of the garden which stretched out in front of them. She frowned. "Look, Hayate, I know it was stupid, and I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it, and I just wanted to say..."

"What was stupid?" Hayate demanded. "You haven't done or said anything stupid in quite a while as far as I'm concerned, Himeno. Nothing is stupid..."

"But you..." She began.

Hayate took a seat next to her. "I was worried about you. You scared me to death, you know...trying to take on everything on your own. When Kei told me why, I just couldn't let it happen. I couldn't let you get hurt on my account, Himeno. It is my job to protect you...not the other way around. I thought we explained that to you when we first met?" he smiled at her.

She blinked several times. "Yes, but...things are different now. I am different now." she whispered her reply.

Hayate nodded. "And so am I, Himeno...and it's all because of you..."

Himeno stopped staring at the floor when Hayate said this. She looked up, a look of pure surprise on her face, and blinked several times. "What? What do you mean by that?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Hayate smiled. "I mean...you changed me...for the better. You helped me to open up...and you helped me to realize my true feelings. I am a better person because I met you. Because you changed me..." he told her.

Himeno nodded several times, although she could feel that her eyes were watering and the dam that held back her tears was not going to last for long. She smiled again at him. "Hayate, I'm sorry, I..." she stammered.

He blinked. "What do you have to be sorry for? Nothing! I was _thanking _you, Himeno." he whispered.

Again she nodded, although she could no longer find anything to say to him. This was it. Kei had died to save her and Hayate...to save them...so that everything could finally come out into the open...and she found herself, for once, at a loss for words. She opened her mouth as if she was going to say something, but quickly closed it again. Hayate looked at her with a strange sort of confusion on his face.

"Himeno..." he began.

"Hayate...what Kei said...you shouldn't have listened. Don't worry about it. It's all right. I'll be fine..." she said quickly.

Hayate frowned. "Himeno, how are we ever supposed to talk if you keep interrupting my sentences? You are so troublesome sometimes, I swear..." he groaned. "I was just about to say something really important _about_ what Kei said...so how about I talk now and you listen? I don't want to hear any more regrets or apologies from you, because I have something that I need to say." he answered her.

Himeno nodded and gulped...a signal that it was all right for him to speak.

He cleared his throat. "Himeno...I never want anything bad to happen to you. Never. I want you to always be safe and be happy...just as you are now...because that...that is what drew me to you in the first place. You always had a smile on your face, even when we all knew that there was nothing to smile about. You always lifted everyone's spirits, and you were brave, and kind, and giving...it was as if you should have been my knight, instead of me being yours. I thought you would need protection, but you didn't. You were marvelous on your own. You made me want to be a better person...maybe even more like you."

"Hayate..." Himeno whispered.

"I was happy, Himeno...I was happy when Kei told me what you had been hiding from me. I thought after what happened with Takako last year, that you would never even think of such a thing. That's why I was kind of relieved when Kei told me everything...because for the longest time I had wanted that to be true, but I never was sure..."

Himeno coughed, and choked back a sob of surprise. Hayate wrapped her in a hug.

"I love you too, Himeno...I have for a long time..." he said into her ear.

"...Hayate? What did you do to make Himeno cry like that?"

Both of them gasped and jumped apart quickly. Himeno was blushing madly, but Hayate had managed to gain some of his wits, and smiled at the little boy that stood in front of him. "Don't worry about it, Shin. Himeno is just really happy because...because her family is all right. Besides, I think you're a bit too young to understand these types of things yet..."

"...Understand what?" asked Hajime as he rounded the corner.

Hayate slapped his hand to his forehead in desperation. "Never mind..." he groaned.

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**A/N: **Had to leave it there. I wanted Himeno and Hayate to finally figure things out, and so they have. I know it was short, but I don't think it would have the same effect if I dragged it on for too long. Hope you enjoyed this one! Please review and let me know what you think!


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